Bodyguard 380: Finally Reliable!

[Old TexMex]

Still happy

I studied pocket guns for a year and finally bought the BG .380 without a laser. Dry firing, it has the most atrocious trigger I have ever owned in my life. I want to shoot it. Is shooting it considerably different than dry firing it? No one makes any comment about the trigger pull, or the fact that when dry firing it, it doesn't break until almost to the back of the trigger guard. Is everyone having this experience?

Atrocious mine isn't. Mine, from the box (properly lubricated) has the same discernable trigger pull as my models 37 and 38 (both pre 1966) and re-set is virtually the same. As a deep concealed backup it's exactly what I was looking for. Accurate and carried safety off (like the Ruger LC9S pro with no "safety").
. Glocks .380 is too bulky for my taste.
I have no problem buying/using quality ammo, 450 rounds flawless,
so no concerns from hand load or cheap ammo (garbage in, garbage out).
As far as one poster (not you KC) saying the BG.380 is half as well made as a hi point, I haven't messed with hi point, as I consider them to be off brand and not suitable because of their design, and try not to waste my time.

As well, I haven't felt the need to dismantle, file, polish, inspect with microscope or x-ray my BG.380 searching for an excuse for having bubba-ed up a perfectly seviceable firearm, or failed to clean and lube before firing.

Take your pick, maybe I'm incredibly lucky or maybe, just maybe...someone has gotten a lemon...and that can happen.

But by using good quality ammo, doing nothing more than a field strip, clean and lube properly PRIOR to going to the range (I used Tri-Flo), my BG.380 is just fine. It isn't a range gun, and I don't expect to have to fire several hundred rounds in a gun battle with it. It was designed as a hideout, so that's what I use it for.
All the best and have a Merry Christmas

Add'm: the theory of firing pin weight and length remind me of the warnings we used to hear about bobbed hammers on the j frame backups. Most always went back to reloads or old or bad ammo.
(Not to say there may indeed have been a design flaw in the early BG.380 firing pin or assembly.)

 

[M29since14]

Nice you are having such good luck! It's not unheard of, and that is precisely what frustrates me. Locally there are many owners who have had good luck with the little guns of about the same vintage as my two earlier ones. It is not a matter of me "not holding my mouth right." Other shooters have had the same problem with both of my guns. It is not how I am handling or feeding them.

Well, I said in my case there would be no third-time for the charm to come, but I broke my promise and ended up buying a third one - this one without laser. I really wanted one of these to work. The latest one seems to do that with the same assortment of factory .380 ammo that has confounded the two previous guns. (Who reloads .380s anyway? )

So I am reasonably pleased with the latest gun. I don't care about the trigger. It is what it is, and for a little pocket gun, it will do. I just want it to go bang every time that trigger is pulled and this latest one seems to do that - particularly with the Winchester flat-nose rounds. (Yippee!)

Since I still have gun number two that is, I think, reliable with Remington FMJs, I may take it apart to look for burrs and other gremlins. I just can't see how getting these things to fire reliably can be much of a chore.

 

[oldiegoldie]

I have had problems with Fiocchi ammo. Have not fired dozens of brands like some have. PMC fmj has been flawless. I do believe the firing pin design is borderline acceptable and a redesign of firing pin would solve alot of problems. Also, the hammer is very light weight and that presents a problem. Like trying to drive a railroad spike with a tack-hammer. Compromises had to be made to keep the gun light and small. All of that said, my experience with these little guns has been good [not perfect], especially with the "right" ammo...and all of my BG's have lasers. My trust in carrying the gun is about an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best. It could use some improvement. It's main job for me is backup.

 

[Szumi]

Fired 60 rounds assembled using federal primers and shot another 24 that were either CCI or Winchester (old reloads). All went off on the first try and had a decent looking imprint.

I'm going to load a batch of Fiocchi primers to see how they work out since I have > 6000 of those.

When I purchase commercial ammo to carry, I'll stick to USA made. As soon as I have room in the budget I'm going to buy some 380 Auto 90 gr XTP® American Gunner® BULK and test 2/3 of it for reliability and carry the rest.

 

[W.E.G.]

I got a second one of these guns after the first one ran very well.

Other than GECO brand ammo, the second one likes everything.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...52584-another-bodyguard-380-range-report.html

 

[smith46wesson]

After reading some of the comments here I feel lucky that mine has run several hundred rounds with no feeding, firing, or ejection issues. My only issues is that the slide does not lock back on empty. At some point I'll get around to sending it in to get looked at. My pocket gun before was an LCP, so while the slide failing to lock back isn't my preference it's not a deal breaker either.

 

[Silverlobo]

Took my Bodyguard to the range on Saturday. First time, field stripped, lubed, and reassembled.
Ran 100 rounds of PMC FMJ and 13 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense and then settled in and got serious. This is the results.

Dropped a few low, but the target was a legal sized paper (full center mass sized) I was very happy with the results.

 

[garddogg56]

WELL NOW I have read all these threads with concern,With a lot of people complaining about the BG380 trigger and the evolution of aftermarket trigger kits.I have come to realize that most of the guys complaining on the trigger pull were people who are primarilly shooting pistols that have single action triggers.With that said and myself a new owner of a BG.380 but a lover of wheel guns I can state that I have shot a lot of mouse guns in my quest for a pocket carry ie Sig 238,LCP,G42 and a Colt Mustang.I didn't like the thought of a single action in my pocket nor a double action without a safety, and I wanted last shot hold open,SooOOOOOooo for my first pocket carry with a born on date of 12-15 I went with THE Smith & Wessom Bodyguard .380 WITH PLENTY OF DRY FIRE PRACTICE AND 400 ROUNDS OF RANGE TIME I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY BG380.. over and out Bob

 

[db4570]

garddogg56:

It sounds like the BG is exactly the gun you need. I'm assuming those 400 rounds were without any sort of failure?

I agree with what you seem to be saying that the trigger is not so bad for the intended use of the gun. The trigger never bothered me.

If it's 100% reliable, and has the controls you want, what else matters?

David

 

[latinracer]

Hi. I bought mine around christmas time. I ordered the Galloway Precision trigger kit and had a local gun smith swap everything out (Trigger bar, Edge trigger,hammer spring,reduced power blocker spring and reduced power firing pin return spring). I had to take it to another gun smith to adjust the trigger and put some loctite and also fix the XS big dot sights that wasn't align correctly.

Took it to the range and every few rounds I experience FTF (failure to feed). I tried both magazine and same issue.

Ammo that I used...

Hornady Critical (JHP)
Fiocchi (FMJ)
PMC Bronze (FMJ)

The range master said that I just need the magazine springs to settle over time since it's fairly new. Someone else said that I might be limp wristing. I have a 2 yr old M&P 40c and never experience any problem with any type of ammo I used.

Looking for advice. If I do send it in for service what can happen since I have XS Big dot sights and the galloway trigger kit? Would that cause any issues or void warranty? Is it possible that maybe it might be the magazine?

 

[db4570]

I am guessing the sights won't matter, but that any aftermarket internals may end up getting removed and discarded by them.

David

 

[Flyordie]

Internals are removed and replaced for warranty work. However, most techs just throw them in the box and ship them back with the gun.

Anyway, Have you ever opened the magazines up? Its acting like mine did when I put the mag springs in "wrong". lol.

 

[oldiegoldie]

looks like a magazine problem to me. try to find an acquaintance with a bg .380 that doesn't have problems and pull your magazine apart to compare with a magazine that works. Also make sure your feed ramp is super polished. Compare your feed ramp with a feed ramp that is not problematic. You will get it figured out and I'm confident you will really like this pistol.

 

[latinracer]

Just got back from the indoor range. I bought 2 boxes of Blazer brass ammunition so a total of 100. Not one single failure to feed. Only 3 times did the slide didn't go back on the last round. I decided to try Hornady critical defense ftx and on the 3rd round it failed to feed like the pictures I posted. I didn't have anymore to do further test.

So why would Hornady failed to feed? Any other JHP that is reliable?

Might try buying the MagGuts when it's back in stock. Looked into both magazine and it seems not to have anough tension. When I removed the bottom base it felt like nothing was going to shoot off accross the room. Could it be the magazine defect? Just trying to understand why I had failure with the hornady jhp.

 

[garddogg56]

garddogg56:

It sounds like the BG is exactly the gun you need. I'm assuming those 400 rounds were without any sort of failure?

I agree with what you seem to be saying that the trigger is not so bad for the intended use of the gun. The trigger never bothered me.

If it's 100% reliable, and has the controls you want, what else matters?

David

David I'm up to 450 rounds now ,last 50 were in light snow at 25 degrees F without any failures and I was worries about temperature and how the laser would react [flawless]

 

[Stevenkoz]

Hello Everyone!
This is my first post despite lurking for a while researching whether to buy a Bodyguard 380 or not. I bought one at a gun show, serial # KDL xxxxx. It shoots 100% perfect almost 400 rounds later. I had no issues at all and I have shot FMJ's from Remmington as well as a bulk box of gun show reloads with no issue whatsoever. I was nervous of getting light strikes with the reloads but I finished the 250 count box with no issue at all.

However, this gun is not perfect and I corrected a few items myself.
First off I do not suggest ANYONE gun smith their own guns. do not do what I did. My father is a machinist and I am blessed with a high level of mechanical dexterity. With that said heres what I found and what I did about it.

The hammer spring shaft (for lack of a proper term) is stamped steel. The stamping leaves a raised burr edge on one side. after a few hundred rounds I found spring marks scalloped into the burr edge. I wondered if it was possible that the spring could have been resting in these marks and ever so slightly reducing spring rate. Afterall it is the spring itself that dug these grooves into the shaft. Also, as you pull the trigger you are compressing the spring by pushing the hammer shaft through it, so it possible that I could have felt the roughness of the spring riding those bumps in the trigger pull. I took a very fine file and removed the burr, and even rounded the edges of the shaft to smooth it out so there could no longer be any type of hang up. Again not sure if it was enough to effect anything but im sure it should not have been that way.

On that same note, the trigger bar is also stamped. It had an ever so slight of a raised burr to the side that rubbed against the frame. It was also sliding along what to me looks like a "QR bar code" square which was laser etched into the frame. It is course to the touch. I took a fine file to the trigger bar to eliminate the burr, then worked the back of it with 1000, then 1500, then 2000 then 2500 grit sand paper. I then polished it with a dremel with the green compound. I made it super smooth and super flat. Also, if you look at the top left half of the trigger bar it is triangular in shape. The skinny edge of the top front side of the triangle actually rides again part of the frame. this acts to push the bar downwards as the trigger is pulled. That edge was very course from the stamping process. I used a file, then the above sandpaper/dremel regimen make that mirror smooth as well.

I also did the same regimen to the frame where the trigger bar rubbed against. I polished it to an almost mirror finish basically taking down the QR code flat.

Basically i just polished up a few rough edges a little better to make it work better. A little attention and elbow grease made for a much better pistol. The trigger is amazingly smooth now. Why this isnt caught at quality control is a mystery to me but for $300 im not going to complain that I had to make a few adjustments to make it better. Its a great little gun. I love it and it shoots awesome. I ended up moving the rear sight a bit right of center as i seemed to be grouping left of center but other than that everything works great.

I would love the Galloway trigger kit but I dont have the money right now. Even with that I would still suggest you inspect the hammer shaft for smoothness/burrs and you would still need to polish the frame where the trigger bar rubs on. There is a youtube video out there on polishing the frame but I dont remember if it addressed polishing and correcting the burrs left by the stamping/manufacturing process.

Sorry I do not have pictures as I did not intend on writing about my mods until I saw this post.

I do not have much experience with pistols but I really like the Bodyguard 380. I have large hands so the Ruger was too small for me and I found the Glock 43 to be larger than what I wanted to carry as a concealed. I dont like the long trigger pull but I understand why they made it that way for safety being its a pocket gun. I look forward to trying the Galloway kit someday.
I also want to put an XS standard dot sight kit on it as I would like to try for better longer range accuracy. I am grouping fairly well for an amateur at 15 yards with the stock sights but they are way too big and thick to quickly sight in at 25 yards. Most would say it isnt designed for that distance and I agree but why not have some fun with pushing the limits. If I can group at 25 yards then anything closer is that much easier.
Lastly I wish someone would make a billet magazine release. The tiny little plastic edge digging against stainless steel under spring pressure does not leave me confident of its long term reliability. I plan on ordering a backup asap. And no, I do not slam the magazine in, I press the release in as I insert the mag. It is what it is and im okay with it. I am not speed shooting in a competition, I am looking to extend the performance life of my trusty sidekick.

 

[martybee]

I wish someone would make a billet magazine release. The tiny little plastic edge digging against stainless steel under spring pressure does not leave me confident of its long term reliability. I plan on ordering a backup asap. And no, I do not slam the magazine in, I press the release in as I insert the mag. It is what it is and im okay with it. I am not speed shooting in a competition, I am looking to extend the performance life of my trusty sidekick.

I like your style and agree with your Post!

 

[tenntucker]

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for the heads up on the deburring and polishing.

 

[KSDeputy]

I am pleased that you enjoy your BG. I wouldn't have another one if it was free. S&W usually makes good firearms, I have bought them for many years. The BG is the exception.

 

[tenntucker]

I am pleased that you enjoy your BG. I wouldn't have another one if it was free. S&W usually makes good firearms, I have bought them for many years. The BG is the exception.

The 380 in my pocket is Kahr P380 but I am doing a trigger job on a friends BG.